Is this a perfectly acceptable tree house that children can enjoy or is it a blot on the landscape?

Owner Dr Stephen Pierini insists it blends in with the garden of his ‘Flagstaff’ home at Cleeve Hill, near Cheltenham and he wants to be allowed to keep it for his children to carry on using.

But while his retrospective planning application to Tewkesbury Borough Council has been supported by neighbours, who have written to the authority in support of it, Woodmancote Parish Council has taken a different view.

Read More

In its submission to the borough, it has objected to the application and said the tree house was “very visible” from the B4632 and Petty Lane.

The parish’s letter said: “Flagstaff is in the Cotswold Area of Natural Beauty. This ‘development’ does not blend in with the existing buildings along the road and definitely not with the Edwardian house called Flagstaff.

Another view of the tree house

“It is tall and intrusive. The colour of the tree house makes it stand out more.

“The tree house will be visible for over five months of the year when it will not be shielded by summer leaves.

It stands nearly six metres above ground level.”

The parish council said it was uncertain the tree house was in a live tree, saying it might be on the trunk of a dead one.

It added: “We feel that if the building was reduced in height and the colour changed, it might be acceptable.

However, we have determined it on the application submitted, therefore, for the reasons stated above, we object.”

The house, garden and tree house

Dr Pierini said, in his application, that he did not realise the wooden tree house needed planning permission when he built it, assuming it would not as it was a temporary structure.

He said his retrospective application followed him being notified that he had to get consent.

He added: “From the road, the tree house is largely hidden by another horse chestnut tree in front, though at angles it can be seen. However due to the sloping nature of the ground, it lies roughly at the level of the main dwelling’s ground floor and many have commented that it simply looks like a shed, behind the large privet hedge separating it from the driveway.

Read More

“From the side aspect, on Petty Lane, it is partly hidden by shrubs and small trees, though it can be seen from my neighbours’ house (Wickfield Lodge) though they love it and indeed helped me build it!

“The house is much used by my eight-year-old son and he often sits and plays in it. For him, I very much hope that my application might be successful and thus it may be ‘passed on’ in a few years to his younger brother.”

The borough council’s planning committee is due to rule on the matter on Tuesday.